New offence of Familial Homicide in force
Monday saw a new offence of Familial Homicide come into law.
The offence, contained in the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004, creates an offence of causing of allowing the death of a child or vulnerable adult.
It aims to close a legal loophole where those jointly accused can escape justice by remaining silent or blaming each other.
Home Office Minister Baroness Scotland said: “Where there are co-accused it is sometimes possible to bring charges of cruelty or neglect against them both but these charges do not reflect the seriousness of the offence.
“The new offence also reflects this Government’s belief that, where adult household members have frequent contact with a child or vulnerable adult, both the person who caused the death, and the person who stood by and did not prevent it, must bear some criminal responsibility for what happened.”
